woodward



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-SheetJ 1.

T. WOODWARD. BREAKDOWN GUN.

Patented Aug. 23, 1892.

(No Model.) 2 Sheet'se-sheen 2.

T. WOODWARD.

BREAKDOWN GUN. No. 481,290. Patented Aug. 23, 1892.

W/TNESSES.'

m MNM# UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

THOMAS VOODWARD, OF DERBY, ENGLAND.

BREAKDOWN GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 481,290, dated August 23, 1892. Application tiled September 19, 1891. Serial No. 406,523. (No model.) Patented in England March 26, 1889, No. 5,159.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS WooDwARD, formerly of Birmingham, England, but now of Derby, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breech-Loading Firearms, (for which I have obtained British Letters Patent No. 5,159, dated March 26, 1889;) and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view and longitudinal sectional view of a rearm embracing my said invention, showing the parts in their relative positions after iring, but with the breech closed. Fig. 2 is a like view of the same, but showing the position of the parts when the breech is substantially open, but prior to the final ejectment of the cartridge-shell. Fig. 3 is a like view of the same, showing the position of the parts immediately after the ejectment of the cartridge-shell. Fig. llis a transverse sectional view of the fore-end iron and catch hereinafter described. Figs, 5, 6, and 7 are detail views further illustrating certain parts of the mechanism embraced in the aforesaid Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive.

This invention is more particularly designed for use in double-barreled Shotguns; but it may also be employed in other firearms, whether single or double barreled, of the general type represented in the drawings, Figs. l to 3, inclusive-that is to say, in small arms in which the barrel or barrels has a pivoted or break-0E action with reference to the breech-body and in which the breech is opened by swinging the rear end of the barrel or barrels clear of the breech-body.

In the drawings, a a are the barrels, b the break-off, and d the fore-end. The ejector is made double, each part comprising an ejector for one ot the barrels and indicated by the reference-letter e, and also a rod e2. The relation of the two ejectors e e to each other and to the two barrels of a double-barreled rearm is shown in Fig. 4.. The rods c2 of the two ejectors lie side by side within a groove or receptacle provided longitudinally 1n the under side of the metal or rib between the barrels.

Behind each of the rods e2 e2 is an ejectorstriker f, the rear end f2 of which should be flattened where it rests against the front end of the longitudinally-coincident rod e2. The said rear end of each ejector-striker works through and is guided by an opening g2 of a covering-plate g, while its front extremity works through au opening g3. in the inwardlyturned front end of said covering-plate, each ejector-striker being thus iucased within the inclosing surfaces ot' the groove or receptacle and the covering-plate g. This covering-plate. serves to close the under side of the groove or receptacle, which, situated behind the rods e2 e2 of the ejectors e e, receive the ejectorstrikers.

A shoulder is formed at the junction of flattened rear end f2 with the cylindrical front port-ion of each ejector-striker, and between said shoulder and the upturned front end of the covering-plate is a spiral spring h, said spring encircling said part of the ejectorstriker and exerting its pressure to force the latter backward against the contiguous end of the ejectorrod e2 behind it. The arrangement of the parts just mentioned is more fully shown in Fig. 7.

Each ejector-rod operates in conjunction with one of the hammers and with a system of mechanism placed within the breech-body and interposed between the ejector-rod and the hammer in the manner substantially as follows: A lever t is fulcrumed at 2, said lever having a short arm @"3 and a long arm i, The short arm 3 takes into a slot or hole cl3 of the pivotal part d4 of the fore-end iron cl2 and acts against a pivoted sear or catch j, which is pivoted at 'i2 and has' shoulders 7'3 and j4, and also an outward and laterally-projecting horn ji. Each rod e2 has a slot or recess e3 and a shoulder e4, the former having a length equal to the designed traverse of the ej ectors, and each shoulder e4 constituting a stop, which operates in conjunction with the sear jg and lever e, as hereinafter explained. The ej ectors receive a primary movement during the opening of the breech by means of swings or arms c2, pivoted to the breech-body c in the usual or in any suitable manner. This part of the operation of the ejectors being old and well known calls forno special description here.

The lock mechanism comprises a hammer K, pivoted, as at K2, and provided with a lip or ledge K3, projected from its breast and IOO lower part and so arranged as to act upon the upper side of the rear end 4 of the lever 7l. The lock mechanism also includes the capstriker or ring-pin Z, the sear m, the main spring n, and the lever O, a suitable trigger a being of course arranged in connection with the latter. It is of course to be understood that the said lock mechanism is to be in duplicate, one lock mechanism for each barrel.

In the use and operation of the arm, the breech being closed the fall of a hammer brings the parts into the relative positions shown in Fig. l, causing the lip or ledge 7a3 to act upon the upper side of the rear end c* of the lever i, forcing the same downward and proportionally raising the front arm i3 of said lever, whereupon the extremity of the latter comes against the horn js of the adjacent sear j, and lifting the same causes said scar to rise until it comes within the slot or recess e3 in the coincident ejector-rod e2 and at the requisite distance behind the shoulder e4 thereof. It is to be understood that when the breech is closed the springs h 7L are compressed as the ejectors and their legs are forced backward by the contact of the ejectors with the front or face of the breech-body.

The opening of the breech by turning the rear ends of the barrels away from the breechbody cocks each hammer by reason of the downward pressure exerted upon the front arm of the lever 1l by the movement of the fore-end iron, the said front end of said lever, as hereinbefore set forth, being passed into the slot or hole d3 in said fore-end iron. s As the rear ends of the barrels are brought sufficiently clear from the breech-body, the ejectors are thrust outward by the movement of the barrels in the usual manner to initiate the ejectment of the shells, this being done through the action of the swings or arms, as hereinbefore indicated. Vhen this is done, the relatively-backward movement of the ejector-rods has brought the shoulder e4 of the slot or recess e3 of each ejector-rod against the shoulder js of the sear j. The sears are thus caused to hold the ejector-legs, the ej ectors, and the ej ector-strikers against the pressure of the springs 7?, h, and consequently for the time prevent any farther rearward or ejecting movement, notwithstanding a farther outward movement of the rear ends of the barrels away from the face of the breechbody. This is the position of the parts, as represented in Fig. 2. The continued opening movement of the barrels causes the shoulder 7'4 of each sear j to strike a suitable projecting fixed stop p, which extends out from the pivotal or joint portion c3 of the breechbody c. This turns the sears downward, bringing their shoulders 3'3 away from the shoulders e4 of the ejector-rods and thereby releasing the latter, whereupon the springs h h give a sudden backward impetus to the ejector-strikers, so that the impact of the latter upon the forward end of the ejector-rods drives the latter backward with a sudden and accelerated impulse, which causes the ejectors to ing the shells backward out of the barrels and clear away from the same. It will be observed that if the stop p were absent the sears jj would not be brought away from the shoulders c4 of the ejector-rods, and in such case the ejection of the shells would be limited to what I have termed their primary ejectrnent by the swings or arms inthe usual way. In some cases this may be desired where the sportsman wishes to preserve the shells for reloading and therefore does not care to seek them upon the ground, as is necessary where forcibly ejected to a distance, as is ordinarily preferred. To provide for this, I make the stop p removable or adjustable, which may be done by iitting it with a screw-thread which screws into a suitable socket in thc front end of the breech-body, so that it may be either removed or screwed inward to a shorter projecting length to proportionally and predeterminedly diminish the movement of the ej ector-rod and reduce the force with which the shell is ejected or, when desired, until its outer end is iiush with the adjacent surface of the breech-body, in which case the stop will of course cease to act upon the ejector-rod, with the same result as if the stop were bodily removed from the structure.

The searj (see Fig. 4) has provided in due relation with it a spring q, the free end g2 of which is V-shaped. When the sear is lowered away from the ejector-leg, as described, the free V-shaped end rests upon the top of the horn j of the sear. When in its other position, said part of the said spring rests against the front of said horn. By this means the sear is retained by an elastic pressure in each of its two positions without interference with its proper movements and functions with reference to the ejector-rod.

It is of course to be understood that any ordinary or suitable means may be used for locking the barrels in their closed position; also, that the several combinations of parts herein described may be used singly in single-barreled breech-loading guns of the class specified, as well as in duplicate in doublebarreled. guns, as herein described.

I am aware that sears or catches have been used in connection with the rods of the ejecting mechanism of irearms, and also that cooking-levers have been arranged with their ends passed directly through the fore-end iron; also, that ejector-strikers have been arranged to work at the front ends of ejectorrods, and that such ejector-strikers have been surrounded by coiled springs. Such devices separately therefore I do not claim; but,

Having hereinbefore described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a breech-loading irearm of the class mentioned, the combination, with an ejectorrod e2, constructed with a shoulder e4, of a sear j, constructed with a shoulder j, and a iixed removable stop p, arranged to withdraw shoul- IIO der j* of the sear from shoulder e4 of the ej ector-rod to release the latter for the sudden ejectment of the cartridge-shells, and capable of detachment to permit, as an alternative, the limited extraction of said shells when desired, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. In a breech-loading firearm of the class mentioned, the combination, with an ejectorrod e2, constructed with a shoulder e4, of a sear j, constructed with a shoulder jl, and a fixed stop p, arranged to Withdraw shoulder j4 of the sear from shoulder e4 of the ejector, and adj ustable to insure the movement of the ejector to a predetermined degree, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. In a breech-loading firearm of the class mentioned, the combination, with an ejectorrod e2, constructed with a shoulder e4, of a Sear j, constructed with a shoulder and a fixed stop p, constructed and arranged to be adjusted with reference to and removed from the ejector-mechanism, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

4. In a breech-loading firearm of the class mentioned, the combination, with an ejectorrod e2, constructed with a shoulder e4, and a searj, constructed with a shoulder j", of an incased ejector-striker f, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

5. In a breech-loading firearm of the class mentioned, the combination, with the hammer mechanism, of an ejector-rod e2, constructed with shoulder e4, of the searj, constructed with the shoulder 74, the parts being constructed and arranged to cause the shoulderj4 to act upon the shoulder e4 only after the hammer has been raised or raised and lowered,substan tially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

6. In a breech-loading firearm of the class 4o mentioned, the combination of a sear j, constructed with a horn L7'5 and a shoulder 3'4, a lever i, a hammer K, having a lip or edge K3, an ejector-rod e2, having a shoulder c4, and the pivoted levers c2, the whole constructed and 45 arranged to enable the lever to engage with the horn L7'5 to bring shoulder 7'4 into position to engage shoulder e4 when the ejector-rod is pushed rearward by the pivoted levers, al1 substantially as and for the purpose herein 5o set forth.

7. In a breech-loading firearm of the class mentioned, ahammer having a lip or ledge K3, an ejector-rod e2, constructed with shoulder e4, and a searj, constructed with the horn ,7'5 and 55 shoulder jl, arranged to cause the shoulder 3'4 to act upon the shoulder e4 only after the hammer has been raised or raised and lowered, in combination with a lever 1l and pivoted levers c2, arranged to enable said lever to en- 6o gage with the horn l7'5 to bring the shoulder j* into position to engage shoulder e4 when the ejector-rod is pushed rearward by the pivoted levers, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

THOMAS WOODWARD.

Witnesses:

GEORGE ALFRED BAGULEY, HENRY JAMES WHITEHoUsE. 

